Draft:Deryk Snelling
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Deryk Snelling (22 July 1933 – 4 September 2021) was a Canadian swimming coach best known for leading the University of Calgary swimming team to nine national and 11 Canadian West Conference Championships from 1980-1996.[3]
Darwin, Lancashire[1]
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 22, 1933 Darwin, Lancashire[1] |
| Died | September 4, 2021 (aged 88) Vancouver Island, British Columbia |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1961-1967 | Southampton Swim Club |
| 1967-1975 | Canadian Dolphin Swim Club Vancouver, B.C. |
| 1976-1980 | Etobicoke Swim Club Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario[2] |
| 1980-1996[3] | University of Calgary |
| 1984-1988[4] | University of Calgary Swim Club |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 9 National Titles 11 Canada West Championships (University of Calgary) | |
| Awards | |
| 1993 International Swimming Hall of Fame 4 x Canadian Swim Coach of the Year 6 x C.I.A.U. Coach of the Year Order of Canada Award | |
Snelling was born in Darwin, Lancashire, England, on July 22, 1933, the eldest of five children of Sydney Snelling and Edith Taylor.[5] His father owned grocery stores, and a number of other businesses. He swam for his school team, and became known in the 1950's as a British national swimmer and English swimming champion. By 1951, he held the British breaststroke and butterfly title. He began shift works at a Darwin Cotton mill, where he swam on the company team.[6][7]
Frustated with factory work, he served two years from 1952-1954 in the British army with the Lancashire Fusiliers as an instructor of Physical Training.[6][5]
Southampton Swim Club
Deciding he wanted to teach swimming, Snelling responded to an Ad for a teaching and swim coach with the Southampton Education Authority and began at the [[Southampton] Swim Club as his first full-time coaching endeavor in 1962. He had noteworthy success through 1968. His title included serving as the head of swimming for Southampton Education Committee.[8] While at Southampton, he coached David Haller.[9][4][6]
Canadian Dolphin Swim Club
In 1968, he took over the Vancouver's Canadian Dolphin Swim club from Hall of Fame Coach Howard Firby. Firby had founded the club in 1955 with William H. Stewart, the father of Canadian Olympic medalists Helen Stewart Hunt and Mary Stewart, one of the seven original members. A dominant program between 1956-1967, Firby's Vancouver Canadian Dolphin team won six Canadian National team titles, with the exception of the year 1965.[10][11]
Etobicoke Swim Club
Snelling coached the Etobicoke Swim Club beginning in 1976 and continuing through 1980. He was attracted to the Etobicoke program partly for the priviledge of coaching swimmers at the modern 6.2 million dollar Etobicoke Olympium facility built in 1975 in Toronto's Centenial Park. While at Etibicoke, he grew the program to over 2OO members, and led the swimmers he coached to win the Canadian Championships in each of the years Snelling served as coach. As many as 50% of the swimmers who competed for Canada in international competition were drawn from Snelling's Etobicoke Club. During his time at Etobicoke, he was suspended from coaching in International Competitions by Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA), and the Canadian Amateur Swimming Association (CASA) for lectures he gave in South Africa during Apartheid. After leaving Etobicoke for University of Calgary, he was replaced by Assistant Coach Trevor Tiffany, who moved up to Head Coach.[2][12]
University of Calgary
Snelling was tasked with helping to find a University of Calgary Coach by the University's Dean of Physical Education, Roger Jackson, a gold medalist in Olympic rowing. Discouraged by his inability to find a suitable Head Coach, Dean Jackson asked Snelling to consider the position himself. The University was able to offer scholarships at the time, but was looking to grow its facilities and make its swim program more competitive in order to keep more Canadian swimmers from accepting scholarships at American Universities. While at the University, Snelling also served as an Assistant Professor on the physical education faculty in beginning in the Fall of 1980.[12]
Snelling coached at the University of Calgary from 1980-1996, where he led the Men's team to win nine National titles and 11 Canada West Conference titles. He coached the Dinos women’s team to three Conference championships.[3]
Canadian, UK Olympic team coach
He helped coach the Canadian Olympic Team in seven successive Olympics from 1972 through 1996, serving as Head Coach in 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1992 Olympics.[7][13]
In 1996, he was selected at the first Technical Director for swimming for the United Kingdom, where he served a four year contract. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Melbourne Australia, England's swimming team won no medals, and he was succeeded in the position in November 2000 by the Australian coach Bill Sweetenham.[14] After retiring, he served as the National Performance Director for the British swimming program and in the 2000 Olympic Games served as the country’s head coach.[7]
Outstanding Swimmers
Outstanding swimmers include 1992 100 backstroke Barcelona Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Tewksbury, 1972 Olympic Silver medalist in the 400 IM, Leslie Cliff1972 Olympic 100 Fly silver medalist Bruce Robertson. He also coached Wendy Cook, who in 1974 set the World Record in the 100 meter backstroke and was 1976 Olympic bronze medal winner. For three months he coached Irish competitor Michelle Smith in preparation for the 1988 Olympics. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, she captured 3 gold and 1 bronze.[7]
Honors
In 1993, Snelling was an inductee to the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame, the BC Swim Coaches Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Swimming Hall of Fame.[7] Snelling was a Canadian Swim-Coach-of-the-Year in three years, 1978, 1988, and 1992. He was a Canadian Interscholastic Athletic Union Coach of the Year seven times from 1982-1988, and has been honored with the distinctive Order of Canada Award. In 1990, he was awarded the Coaching Canada Award by 3M.[7][15]